Pro Clear ProStar 220 Build... A first on R2R I think........

[Big C]

I agree, I posted earlier about being fortunate enough to get one of the last of the older models in stock...well a week later I got a call from Live Aquaria that their stock count was wrong and would not be able to ship the order. Live Aquaria was really cool about it, called me to explain and gave some in-store credit to soften the mistake. Top notch customer service at least.

I talked to Pro Star about the new features afterward and I just don't see the value in their new pricing model. At $3K you might as well go all-in on a Waterbox or RedSea. Not to mention all the problems with the rimless tanks lately, how good will the warranty support from Prostar be? At $2K it was a great deal and worth accepting a little more risk, at least for me. At $3K...I ended up going the SCA150 and custom stand route.

Your tank is coming along great btw!

Agree when the new models are now reaching the price of some of the other manufacturers I would take a hard look elsewhere (as I was before this purchase). I do like the metal stand on this that makes for a ton of room underneath (versus Waterbox and RedSea) but at $3,000 would look at SCA as well.

So far ProClear has been really responsive to me. Hopefully I won't need to call them ever again.

Thanks for the comments!

 

[Big C]

Beautiful tank! Your scape and plumbing look fantastic.

Thanks! Tearing down the old tank over the next few weeks. I'll transfer the Radions and install the new Versa pump for my AWC. Then clean some stuff up and wait for the uglies to pass.....

 

[Big C]

Finally got my Versas installed and calibrated. Short term they are in the wall on the other side of the tank. After the tank gets going next project is upsizing the mixing station from 40 gallons to +60.

Until I get my Apex modules from the other tank plan on just continuous AWC. Start off at 1.7 gallon/day and plan on a monthly vacuum gravel cleaning.

Dirty water out the compartment

Clean water in the return chamber

Water out to the utility sink

Versa Pumps

 

[Master of Cloak]

I agree, I posted earlier about being fortunate enough to get one of the last of the older models in stock...well a week later I got a call from Live Aquaria that their stock count was wrong and would not be able to ship the order. Live Aquaria was really cool about it, called me to explain and gave some in-store credit to soften the mistake. Top notch customer service at least.

I talked to Pro Star about the new features afterward and I just don't see the value in their new pricing model. At $3K you might as well go all-in on a Waterbox or RedSea. Not to mention all the problems with the rimless tanks lately, how good will the warranty support from Prostar be? At $2K it was a great deal and worth accepting a little more risk, at least for me. At $3K...I ended up going the SCA150 and custom stand route.

Your tank is coming along great btw!

Yeah I fully agree with what you’re saying. Increasing the price to $3000 because you’re adding 2” of width to the tank and 6” of height to the stand doesn’t really warrant the $1000 price increase. I’d much rather get the 180 pnp from sca for that price which comes with everything I need. LOL like I get the pro star is rimless and all but they’re charging a premium for it now.

 

[Big C]

Now that I have some fish and excess nutrients went ahead and purchased some clean cheato from AlgeaBarn.

Impressed, arrived the next day, heat pack and nicely packaged. Even included a Swedish fish to snack on!!

As I have started with dry rock and sand we will see if it’s clean. Upon first inspection looks good, did a saltwater rinse and threw it in.

Also read some recent reviews the cheato stops turning in the Tunze Macro Reactor after a few days but for now it’s in a roller coaster ride!

 

[Big C]

Cycling Day 60 update:

System running about 70 days
Cycling with bacteria for 60 days
Lights on for 20 days

Light is pretty low intensity with a short lighting schedule 4-6 total hours including ramp up/down and T5s on for just a few hours of that. Still need to add my last XR30 Pro.

Cycling seems to be going well. Parameters in check:

Nitrates 10-15
Phosphate 0.03-0.07
Alk 8.2
Ca 385

Not much moving as I have little in there. Moved over 6 fish from my existing tank and will move the other 6 this weekend.

No huge algae/dino outbreaks, a little on the rocks which seems to be algae under the microscope. But still have a few months left for the uglies. Hopefully seeding with 3 different bacteria starters will help diversity the good bacteria in the tank.

Have cheato on a 4 hour light schedule and will adjust as needed depending on nitrate/phosphates. Added a bit of GAC today to help keep things clear.

Have a minimal cleanup crew, maybe 20 total snails and crabs plus my brittle start fish and cucumber from the other tank. Order 20 more from Reef Cleaners to delivery this weekend when I add the other fish.

Add a few tester corals. Watermelon Favia looks good after two weeks and blasto looks good after 1 week. Had to move my Rock Nems over as I sold the live rock they were on as I tear down the old tank. Put them in some PVC caps in case I need to move them. So far they stayed put.

 

[Big C]

Cycling Day 74 update:

System running about 84 days
Cycling with bacteria for 74 days
Lights on for 34 days

Add two bottles of ARC coraline algae to help speed it along.

Corals are doing well for now. Watermelon favia has grown a few heads already and my torch it working on that as well.

All lights are in, got some pretty high par on the sand bed still so raised the hybrid up a few more inches to get below 200 PAR.

Cycling seems to be going well. Parameters in check:

Nitrates 12
Phosphate 0.03 (have to dose twice a week)
Alk 8.2
Ca 395 (Believe this was low with the IO salt and is steadily going up with the Tropic Marine Pro)

Got all the fish moved over with no issues. Everyone looking happy and found their hiding spot.

No huge algae/dino outbreaks, a little on the rocks which seems to be algae under the microscope. But still have a few months left for the uglies. Hopefully seeding with 3 different bacteria starters will help diversity the good bacteria in the tank.

Have cheato on a 5 hour light schedule and will adjust as needed depending on nitrate/phosphates.

Got my Reef Cleaner order, they CUC is keeping the sand bed pretty clear. Getting some good green algae on the rocks now.

Add a bunch of new coral from my frag tank, some chalices, favia, acans and picked up a bubblegum digi. Also added some testing corals I got on a WWC eBay sale pretty cheap, one acro and we'll see how it does.

AWC with the Versa still going will at 1.25% per day.

Bought a nice RBTA for the clowns and they decided to annoy the rock flower anemone and host there

Got one more small CUC pack from Reef Cleaners and will add later this week.

 

[TexAgReefer]

Looking great!

 

[LikiTorma]

Very nice set up buddy!
I bought the Pro Star 220 too. Your advices were awesome! Upgrading from Reefer 350 to the ProStar 220

 

[Big C]

Very nice set up buddy!
I bought the Pro Star 220 too. Your advices were awesome! Upgrading from Reefer 350 to the ProStar 220

Good luck on the build! Don’t forget to start a thread

 

[LikiTorma]

It sounds the same to me once the tank flow levels out.

Just set up mine yesterday. Man i got a jebao 12000 and i ran it at maximum and goddddd its loud!!!! I think ill reduce the power of it!

 

[Big C]

Just set up mine yesterday. Man i got a jebao 12000 and i ran it at maximum and goddddd its loud!!!! I think ill reduce the power of it!

Yea, I got my Skimz Leppard when they were on the BRS fire sale, 2,900 gph ish. Had to turn it way down.....

 

[LikiTorma]

Yea, I got my Skimz Leppard when they were on the BRS fire sale, 2,900 gph ish. Had to turn it way down.....

does taking off the black drain that surrond the white flows to get to the bottom, will it help?

 

[Big C]

does taking off the black drain that surrond the white flows to get to the bottom, will it help?

Not sure. I think someone posted a little. I am going to try in my next water change as it will decrease the level a bit in the display.

 

[Big C]

Picked up some $5 zoas at Aquarium Depot when I needed some snails for some turf algae control. Also got a few frags, mummy eye and Acan that I plan on nursing back to health.

Last few weeks got some new tank uglies, some turf algae. I was slow in getting a clean up crew as I wanted to make sure I didn’t get too many at the beginning and die off due to lack of food. Might have been a bit to behind.

I found these star snails just mow down the turf algae. Hopefully they continue to like the stuff. They keep on it until the rock is clean. Noticed the other types of snails don’t prefer it as much.

Some pictures you can see where they were and haven’t been yet. Everything else going ok for now.

 

[Big C]

It might be energy efficient but my house is sealed up good. With everyone staying home and the furnace on I had a huge pH drop and threw my CO2 scrubber back on. Even drawing air from outside the media still exhausts in 6-8 days. So I decided to upgrade.......... As soon as the small one is purple on goes the big one.......

 

[Robertellis30]

How would you compare this stand. To a Red Sea stand?

 

[Big C]

How would you compare this stand. To a Red Sea stand?

I haven’t gone in depth on the Red Sea stand but really like this one. The metal frame opens the bottom up for a lot of room. I like the look of the glass panels as well and are easy to clean.

 

[Big C]

Well I know it’s a new system but couldn’t help a food fee deals. So far everything is doing OK to well. Wojtek’s Reef out of Chicago has a great selection!!!

 

[JasonK7]

Nice build! Tagging along!! Just started the cycle on my Prostar 150.